Automatic starter for automobiles



W. L. BLISS.

AUTOMATIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1.912. RENEWED JULY 25, 1919.

1,335,153. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

U ITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE- WILLIAM L. BLISS, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT 8c HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30,1920.

Application filed November 25, 1912,..Seria1 No. 733,388. Renewed July 25, 1919 Serial No. 313,235.

an electric starter in which a motor of small horse power may be employed.

Another object is to provide improved mechanical connections between the starting motor and the engine.

Another object'of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the engine ma drive the starting motor as a generator.

nother object is to provide automatic means for priming the engine as the starter is operate Another object is to provide automatic means to retard the spark in starting the engine.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates an automatic starter applied to an internal combustion engine and diagrammatically indicates the electrical circuits.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate details of the clutch.

A dynamo electric machine D, hereinafter referred to for convenience as a motor or as a generator, is provided for starting the engine E. A starting switcn S controls'the motor circuit from a battery B to start the motor. A combined automatic switch and regulator A is provided, the switch portion controlling the, charging circuit from the generator to the battery and the'regulator portion controlling the field of the generator to regulate the generator output. The engine is provided with an automatic primer P and a timer T. l I Y The starting motor D is a dynamo electric machine of any preferred type capable of operating as a motor to start theengine and V as a generator to supply current to the batteries, or for other purposes. The motor may be either a shunt or series-machine or may be provided with both shunt and series windings; The shaft 1 of the dynamo electric machine carries an eccentric 2 and a pulley 3. The pulley 3 may be arranged to drive the machine as a generator in one direction and is coupled to the generator shaft by a suitable one-way clutch such as a "ball or roller clutch C. I 4

The mechanical connections between the motor and the engine comprise a lever 4 forming the ratchet arm of a roller ratchet or clutch 5, which may be of the same type be employed. A pulley 9 is arranged on the engine shaft 6 and a driving belt 10 connects pulleys 3 and 9.

The clutch C, illustrated in detail in Figs.

2 and 3, comprises a casing 11 mounted within the pullev 3 and a ratchet 12 mounted upon the inner face of the eccentric 2within the casing 11. Tapered recesses 13 in the ratchet receive rollers 14 which are held in place-b spring-supported blocks 15. When the pul ey 3 is driven in a clock-wise direction, the tendency is to move the rollers 14 in'the same direction, and the recesses 13, tapering in the direction of the motion, will bind the rollers between the ratchet 12 and the casing 11, giving motion to the generator. When the dynamo electric machine is run as a motor, the rollers'will have a tendency to drop back toward the wide end of the tapered recesses in the ratchet, allowing the pulley 3 to remain at rest. The provision of a one-way clutch for the pulley on ratchet arm 4 willrotate the engine shaft,

while rotation of the engine shaft by the engine will not oscillate the lever.

- An automatic primer P comprises the gasolene pump 16 connected to the ratchet arm 4, to be operated thereby to force a spray or jet of gasolene from the supply pipe 17 into the engine intake'18.

The starting switch S controls the motor circuit from the battery B. The switch-operating plunger 20 also controls, through mechanical connections 21, the-timer T to retard the spark for starting purposes. A

rod 22, provided with a spring 23, controls the position of the rachet arm 4 to pull the same into yielding contact with the eccentric upon operation of the starting switch.

The automatic switch and regulator A may be of any preferred type and is here shown as provided with an operating shunt coil 24: and a series coil 25 controlling the charging circuit between the generator and the battery B through the contacts 26. Contacts 27 on the automatic switch and regulator control a short circuit around a resistance R in the circuit of the shunt field of the generator and thus provide for limiting the generator output.

. To start the engine, the starting switch plunger 20 is depresed, thereby closing the motor circuit from the positive side of battery B through conductors 28 and 29 to switch contacts 30, bridged by conductor 31, through conductor 32 to motor lead 33, through the armature of the motor and back to the negative side of the battery through conductor 34. Contacts 27 being closed, the resistance R is short-circuited, thereby providing a strong starting field from the battery. The mechanical connections 21 simultaneously operate to retard the spark at the timer T. At the same time, the connection 22 raises the ratchet arm 4-, holding the roller 7 yieldingly in contact with the eccentric 2. The dynamo electric machine immediately starts tooperate as a motor,. rotating the eccentric and thereby oscillating the ratchet arm 4. The leverage of this arm, applied through the one-way clutch 5, enables the motor to provide suflicient torque to turn the engine shaft. At

the same time, the pump 16 will prime theengine. As long as the engine shaft is being driven by the starting device, that is, as long as the speed of the engine shaft is less than that of the motor, the belt 10 runs idle, due to the clutch C, but as soon as the engine operatesunder its own power, its speed will be such as to cause the clutch C to pick up and drive the dynamo electric machine as a generator. The starting switch is then released, allowing the arm 4 to drop against the stop 8, opening the starting circuit and stopping the priming pump. The dynamo electric machine now operates as a generatorand upon a proper v'olta'ge being at-' tained, the automatic switch will close, providing a circuit for charging the batteries through conductor 33, pivoted switch arm 35, contacts 26, seriescoil 25, conductor 28, battery B and conductor 34 to the negative generator terminal. Upon suHicient increase in generator output, the automatic regulator will operate to rapidly vibrate contacts 27, thereby controlling the output by means'of resistance R.

It is to be understood, of course, that many of the details herein described are merely for the purposes of illustration and that many changes and modifications may be made which fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotary starting motor therefor, a lever connected to said engine shaft, a rotary member moved by said motor adapted to reciprocate said lever for starting the engine.

:2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotary starting motor therefor, a lever connected to said engine shaft, means rotated by said motor to reciprocate said lever, and means to place said lever in and'out of operative condition.

3. In an engine starter, in combination anism adapted to be operated by said eccentric to crank the engine, and manually controlled means for placing said ratchet mechanism in position to be operated by said eccentric.

5. In an engine starter, a starting motor. a ratchet mechanism adapted to be operated by said motor to crank the engine and manually controlled means for starting said motor and placing said ratchet mechanism in position to be operated by saidmotor.

6. In an engine starter, a starting motor, an eccentric driven thereby, a ratchet mechanism adapted to be operated by said eccentric to crank the engine, and manually controlled means for starting said motor and chine to the engine, additional mechanical connections including a ratchet mechanism mounted on the engine shaft, said ratchet mechanism adapted to be connected to the dynamo electric machine to be intermittently operated thereby, and means for controlling the connection and disconnection of the ratchet mechanism and the dynamo electric machine.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a dynamo electric machine, mechanical connections including a one-way clutch connecting the dynamo electric machine to the engine, additional mechanical connections including a ratchet mechanism mounted on the engine shaft, operating means therefor including an eccentric mounted on the shaft of the dynamo electric machine, and means for controlling the con nection and disconnection of the ratchet mechanism and the operating means therefor.

11. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotary starting motor therefor, a lever and' connections whereby operation of said lever will turn the engine shaft, and mechanical means operated by said motor for actuating said lever.

12. In an engine starter, a starting motor, an eccentric driven thereby, a lever connected to the engine shaft adapted to be operated by said eccentric, and manually controlled means for starting said motor and placing said lever in position to be operated by said eccentric.

13. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a dynamo-electric machine, means driven by said machine for rotating the engine shaft, controlling means for said dynamo-electric machine, means for controlling the ignition, and a mechanical connection between said first controlling means and said ignition controlling means whereby said first controlling means will control the ignition of said engine.

let. An automatic starting system for automobiles including, in combination, an internal combustion engine, means to rotate the engine shaft, spark retarding means, and a flexible mechanical connection between said means.

15. In combination with an internal combustion engine, automatic starting -means therefor including a lever having a ratcheting action to rotate the engine shaft, and means operated by said lever for priming the engine.

16." An automatic starter for automobiles including a lever to rotate the engine shaft, and means controlled by said lever for priming the automobile engine.

17. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starting motor therefor, mechanical connections including a lever having a ratcheting action between the motor and the-engine shaft to rotate said engine shaft from said motor, and means operated by said lever for automatically supplying fuel to said engine.

18. In combination with an internal combustion engine, priming means therefor, a starting motor, means for rotating the engine from said motor including a lever having a ratcheting action, and a common manually operable means for starting said motor, controlling the spark of said internal combustion engine and controlling the operating of said primingmeans.

19. In combination with an internal combustion engine, means to turn the engine shaft for starting, means to retard the spark and a third means for controlling both said shaft turning means and said spark retarding means.

20. In an engine starting system,.in combination, an internal combustion engine, a dynamo-electric machine adapted to function as a generator or a motor, driving means therebetween, and spark retarding means flexibly connected to said driving means.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. BLISS.

Witnesses:

A. W. DoMr,

E. I. I-IARRIG. 

